PURPOSE: To validate a conceptual short-form health literacy 12 items questionnaire (HL-SF12) in patient populations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a convenient sample of 403 patients from three departments of a community general hospital in the northern Taiwan. Patients' health literacy was assessed with a validated HL-SF12, derived from the full scale, the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q), as well as a single-item from Chew's Set of Brief Health Literacy Question. A reference population in Northern Taiwan (n = 928) via the HLS-EU-Q in 2013–2014 was used as a reference to compare the health literacy between that of the general public and the patients. Data was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression models. RESULTS: Patients' health literacy assessed with the HL-SF12 was shown with high internal consistency (Cronbach α = .87), and moderately correlated with the single-item from Chew's Set of Brief Health Literacy Question, with satisfactory item-scale convergent validity (item-scale correlation ≥ .40), without floor/ceiling effect, and with satisfactory goodness of fit indices of the three-factor construct model for most of the patients. Their health literacy was significantly positively associated with female gender, higher income, and more often watching health-related TV programs. On the other hands, patients were reported with significantly higher healthcare health literacy than the general public, but not in general health literacy, disease prevention health literacy, or health promotion health literacy. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive HL-SF12 was a valid and easy to use tool for assessing patients' health literacy in the hospitals to facilitate healthcare providers in enhancing patients' health literacy and healthcare qualities.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Hand ; Health Literacy* ; Health Personnel ; Health Promotion ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Taiwan

Objective To observe the prevalence, blood pressure change in prehypertensive population and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Methods Data from a prehypertensive cohort defined with the JNC-7 prehypertension diagnostic criteria were obtained in the employees of kailuan group during the health examination between 2006 to 2007 and the same population was revisited between 2008 to 2009 to observe the change of blood pressure and the associated determinants for blood pressure change. Results (1) There were 25 474 prehypertensives during the 1st visit and 8361 subjects developed hypertension during the 2nd visit (35. 3% in men and 23. 3% in women, 27. 2% with baseline blood pressure 120-129/80-84 mm Hg( 1 mm Hg =0. 133 kPa) and 43. 8% with baseline blood pressure 130-139/85-89 mm Hg, 34. 3% with risk factors and 19. 9% without risk factors). (2) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the baseline SBP, waist circumference, age, BMI, gender (male), DBP, TC, FBG, TG, LDL-C were the risk factors of blood pressure progression with a RR (95% CI) of 1. 052(1. 048-1. 056), 1.009(1.006-1.013), 1.023(1.021-1.026), 1.063(1.052-1.074), 1.554(1.442-1.675), 1.036(1.029-1.043), 1.064 (1.037-1.093), 1.043 (1.024-1.062), 1.041 (1.021-1.062) and 1.035 (1.000-1.072), respectively. Conclusion A third (32. 8% ) prehypertensive population progressed into hypertension after two years, baseline SBP, waist circumference, age, BMI, gender (male), DBP, TC, FBG, TG, LDL-C were the risk factors of predicting blood pressure progression.